Visit
Getting Here
The Discovery District is served by multiple public transportation modes, and has quick access to I-95, the Capital Beltway (I-495) and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (I-295).
Whether traveling by plane, train or automobile, the Discovery District is easily accessible.
Drive
The Discovery District is very well connected to the road network serving the Baltimore Washington metropolitan area. The research park can be accessed within ten minutes via Interstate 95 (I-95), the Capital Beltway (I-295) and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (I-295). From the Capital Beltway, there are two points of access to quickly arrive at the Discovery District including Exit 23 for MD-201/Kenilworth Avenue and Exit 25 for US-1/Baltimore Avenue. Local roads Baltimore Avenue (US-1) and Kenilworth Avenue (MD-201) also connect to the park and provide efficient and direct access into Washington, DC.
Metrorail
In the heart of the Discovery District is the College Park – University of Maryland Metro station, which is run by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). This Metro line provides quick, direct access into the nation’s capital, as well as northern Virginia on the Yellow and Green lines. These two lines will take you into the heart of Washington, DC in less than 25 minutes. The Yellow line provides direct access to Crystal City, which enables riders to arrive at the home of Amazon’s new HQ2 without having to change trains.
Directions when taking Metrorail from Washington D.C.
- Take the Red Line train (toward Glenmont); transfer at the Fort Totten station to the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
- Or take the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
- The University's Shuttle-UM buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. Shuttle-UM service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent on most weekdays - is offered year-round, and is open to everyone - no ID required.
MARC
The Discovery District is also home to the College Park MARC train station. The Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) train system runs service between Baltimore and Washington, DC linking many suburbs to key destinations, such as the Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) and the Discovery District. Situated on the Camden line, the MARC train will take riders from the Discovery District to Union Station in Washington, DC in less than 15 minutes, and north to the Camden station in Baltimore in 45 minutes.
Directions when taking MARC from Baltimore (Inner Harbor)
- Take the Camden Line train (toward Washington, DC); get off at the College Park station.
- The University's Shuttle-UM buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. Shuttle-UM service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent - every 8 minutes during peak hours on most weekdays - is offered year-round, and is open to everyone - no ID required.
Directions when taking MARC from Baltimore (Penn Station/West Baltimore/BWI Airport)
- Take the Penn Line train (toward Washington, DC); get off at Union Station.
- Transfer to the Metrorail system.
- Take the Red Line train (toward Glenmont); transfer at the Fort Totten station to the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
- The University's Shuttle-UM buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. Shuttle-UM service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent - every 8 minutes during peak hours on most weekdays - is offered year-round, and is open to everyone - no ID required.
- Take the Penn Line train (toward Washington, DC); get off at Union Station.
- Transfer to the Metrorail system.
- Take the Red Line train (toward Glenmont); transfer at the Fort Totten station to the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
- The university's Shuttle-UM buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. Shuttle-UM service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent during peak hours on most weekdays - is offered year-round, and is open to everyone - no ID required.
Purple Line
One of the Discovery District’s greatest connectors to the region is the soon-to-be opened Purple Line light rail. The Purple Line is a 16-mile light rail station connecting Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and linking together four spokes of the Metro system.
The Purple Line will include five stops on University of Maryland-owned land, including three stops within the Discovery District:
- River Road
- College Park Metro Station
- Intersection of Baltimore Avenue and Rossborough Lane
Anyone with a university ID, including affiliates within the Discovery District, will be able to ride within the university’s five stops for free.
Air Transportation
Each of the three airports serving the nation’s capital are less than an hour from the Discovery District. The Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) is approximately 30 minutes north of the Discovery District and can be accessed on public transit through the MARC Penn Line.
From BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
- Find and follow signage to the MARC train system
- Take the Penn Line train (toward Washington, DC); get off at Union Station.
- Transfer to the Metrorail system.
- Take the Red Line train (toward Glenmont); transfer at the Fort Totten station to the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
- The University's Shuttle-UM buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. Shuttle-UM service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent - during peak hours on most weekdays - and is open to everyone - no ID required.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is approximately 30 minutes south of the Discovery District, and can be accessed directly by riding the Metro Yellow Line.
From Reagan National Airport (DCA)
- Take the Yellow Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
- The University's Shuttle-UM buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. Shuttle-UM service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent - during peak hours on most weekdays - and is open to everyone - no ID required.
Dulles International Airport is approximately 45 minutes west of the Discovery District and can be accessed on transit through a shuttle service connecting the airport to the Metro system on the Green or Yellow lines.
From Dulles International Airport (IAD)
- Take the Washington Flyer Bus to Wiehle-Reston East and proceed to take the Silver Line train (towards Largo Town Center); transfer at Gallery Place Chinatown station to the Green Line train (toward Greenbelt); get off at the College Park/U of MD station.
- The University's Shuttle-UM buses pick up university-bound passengers on the EAST side of the Metrorail station. Shuttle-UM service between the College Park Station (Green line) and the center of campus is very frequent - during peak hours on most weekdays - and is open to everyone - no ID required.
In addition to these commercial airports, the historic College Park Airport is located within the Discovery District and heavily-traversed by hobbyists and private aircrafts.
Bus Service
Many bus lines service the Discovery District, including Metrobus, The Bus and Shuttle UM.
Planning your Visit
Interested in visiting the Discovery District and need some help planning your visit? Perhaps you’d like a tour of the area?
Maps & Directions to the University of Maryland can be found here.
The Official University of Maryland Campus Visitor Map (.pdf) can also be downloaded as a PDF.